MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit 2008 Hosted by Microcredit Summit Campaign and Gema PKM

ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL MICROCREDIT SUMMIT 2008

JULY 28-30, 2008, BALI, INDONESIA

The Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit 2008 (APRMS) is the 12^th conference in a series of global and regional summits by the Microcredit Summit Campaign (MSC). In plenary sessions, APRMS will discuss 4 commission papers and present tow Institution Action Plans. The Summit will also feature 3 sets of workshop sessions, a 5-day course on a variety of subjects, and 12 sessions organized by delegates.

The registration fee to attend the Summit depends on date and the region from which registrants come. Prior to May 31, 2008, registrants from the Asia-Pacific Region will be charged IDR 1.14 million (or USD 120), while all other registrants will be charged IDR 1.615 million (or USD 170). After June 1, 2008, the Summit will cost registrants from the Asia-Pacific Region IDR 1.425 million (or USD 150) versus IDR 2.137 million (or USD 225) for all other registrants.

In 1997, the first Microcredit Summit started a 9-year campaign to “reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2005.” The MSC is in its second phase with 2 new goals of reaching 175 million of the world’s poorest families and working to ensure that 100 million of these families earn more than USD 1/day adjusted for purchasing power parity.

At the end of 2007, APRMS was postponed due to unrest in Pakistan, the original location. The MCS is a non-profit microfinance support agency based in Washington D.C. As noted by MicroCapital, the MSC also released its 2007 report in January.

Co-host Gema PKM (The Indonesian Movement for Microfinance Development) is a national microfinance trade association of the government, finance institutions, NGOs, the private sector, universities, and research institutions. Gema PKM was founded in 2000 with the goal of serving 10 million poor families by 2005. It is headed by the State Minister for the Empowerment of Women and the Head of the National Family Planning Coordination Board.

One can register online at the website. The Convention Center in Bali will also be open for pre-registration on July 27^th. For questions about program sessions or APRMS in general, one can call 1-202-637-9600 or email info@inamicrocreditsummit.org. For questions about registration, sponsorship opportunities, Bali, or travel information, one can call 62-21-8004929 or email the address above.

by Jennifer Lee

Additional Resources:

Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit: Home, Registration

Microcredit Summit Campaign: Home

Gema-PKM: Home, Year of Microcredit Summary

MicroCapital: “PRESS RELEASE: Microcredit Summit Campaign Releases 2007 Report”, January 18, 2008.